Launching the New Statesman

The first number of the new sixpenny weekly "The New Statesman" will appear on Saturday next. Its general format will be that of a political and literary review of the type of the "Nation" or the "Spectator."

According to the prospectus, "the distinctive object of the new journal will be to give an opportunity for the continuous expression of Collectivist opinion on the topics of the day and for the steady development of Collectivist theory and policy in the light of the changing economic circumstances of the different nations of the civilised world. With this essentially constructive policy in view as the first object, the aim will be to produce a paper which in the intrinsic quality of its criticism, both political and literary, can afford to challenge comparison with any existing publication." The journal is owned by a small private company, the board of directors including Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Webb, Mr. Bernard Shaw, Mr. E. Whitley, and Mr. H. D. Harben.

Mr. Sidney Webb this morning gave the London representative of the "Manchester Guardian" some information as to the aims and policy of the paper.

"Its distinctive feature," he said, "will be its point of view - absolutely untrammelled by party, or sect, or creed. Its general attitude will be best designated by the term 'Fabian,' but it will endeavour to bring to light and to appreciate in a wide catholic spirit all those features in other social projects or movements which can be recognised as making for progress. A number of these connected with it are members of the Fabian Society, but this is true of nearly every enterprise nowadays, and the paper is in no sense the organ of the Fabian Society, any more than it will be that of the Liberal party. It is going to be really independent. It is obvious to every thinking person that there must be very large changes in social reform during the next few years. In our view these changes will be disastrous unless they are founded upon clear thinking and scientific knowledge as well as goodwill. They must necessarily be in the direction of increasing the corporate life and activity of the community and in maintaining a natural minimum of civilised life as a partnership between the individual and the community as a whole. These changes will take various forms - sometimes collective ownership, sometimes collective regulation (such as that of the minimum wage law), and a great stride onward in the collective assumption of unearned increment and rent and collective provision for the non-effectives. On such questions the new journal will seek to spread the knowledge and information essential to sound solutions."